Familiar
by See Jane Write
Summary: Olivia decides to take advantage of a free weekend by taking Casey down to Atlantic City. While they are there, the two of them run into a very familiar face from the SVU past. CO. OA.
1. Chapter 1

Familiar

Summary: Olivia decides to take advantage of a free weekend by taking Casey down to Atlantic City. While they are there, the two of them run into a very familiar face from the SVU past.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the magnificent SVU characters. I wish I did, but alas I don't.

Olivia's happiness could not be contained as she stepped out of her car onto the sidewalk in front of the District Attorney's office. The cooler New York air hit her bare arms, but it felt nice after being trapped in the SVU squad room all day long. She came there with a mission, and she would not stop until she succeeded. She smiled further as she walked inside.

It only took her a couple minutes to get to Casey's office. The woman she came to see did not look busy, quite the contrary actually. The redhead had a mini dartboard set up and was busy throwing darts at it. Olivia chuckled at the picture of the defendant in Casey's latest trial as she entered her girlfriend's office. "I thought softball was more your thing," she noted with a finger wave at the dartboard.

"And Branch would be down here in two seconds if I started swinging a bat in this office," Casey pointed out. She placed her darts down on her desk and smiled at Olivia. "So what brings you here?"

"An offer," Olivia responded.

Casey turned back to her dartboard. "Liv, I'm not pleading this guy out. He's wanted for rape homicide, and I can prove it. I can't plead all of my cases out. That's not how it works."

"Not that kind of offer," Olivia promised as she moved in closer to her girlfriend. She wrapped her left arm around Casey's waist and ran her right hand through Casey's hair. "This one's more of a personal one," Olivia began seductively.

Casey's cheeks turned a slight red color as she moved away slightly. "Come on, Liv, not here," she begged. "Not many people here know about us." As soon as Olivia released her, Casey did smile back. "What kind of offer did you have in mind?"

"The two of us," Olivia continued seductively. "A hotel room where no one could interrupt us. Not any ADA, no cops. It'd be just the two of us."

"Where?" Casey asked, intrigued by the concept. Since she and Olivia became serious, it was something she wanted, but she was too afraid to bring it up.

Olivia smiled. "Well, I was thinking along the lines of Atlantic City. We have the whole weekend essentially free." She moved a bit of Casey's hair away from her face. "What do you say?"

Casey thought about it for a moment. It did seem like the best weekend for it. She did not have to appear in court. This case would be closed in about an hour. After that, she was free until Monday. Atlantic City would definitely be far away enough to keep people she knew from finding out about her and Olivia. It was not that she was ashamed of her relationship. She just did not want people treating her differently once they found out. The only other people that she told were other ADAs in the same situation. She had confided in Serena Southerlyn before Serena was fired. Kelly Gaffney knew, and she might have told her girlfriend Tracey Kibre. Other than that, no one at her office knew. As for the SVU, only Elliot knew. He was Olivia's partner since Olivia started working there. He already knew Olivia was a lesbian. When Olivia told him about Casey, Casey doubted Elliot was shocked.

"Well, counselor?" Olivia asked. "What's your verdict? Do we go?"

Casey smiled. "We go," she answered. "Let me just land this guy's ass in jail, then we'll be off," she promised.

* * *

About four hours later, the two of them arrived in Atlantic City. The drive was over, and they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel where they would be staying. Olivia smiled as she put the car into park and removed the keys from the ignition. "Here we are," Olivia announced as she turned towards the passenger seat. She sighed slightly as she gently shook Casey awake.

"Hey, sleepy, we're here," she whispered as she began to see Casey's tired eyes flutter open.

"Ok," Casey whispered as her eyes closed again. She leaned her head back against the seat.

"No, you can sleep when we're inside our room," Olivia said as she once again shook Casey awake. She quickly rushed over to Casey's side of the car and got her girlfriend out of there. "Come on," Olivia said gently. "Just rest your head on my shoulder. I'll get you inside."

Once Casey was out of the car, Olivia closed the car door with her foot. She would have to come back for the luggage. Looking back, she realized it would have been easier to come back for Casey, but she was not about to subject Casey to more moving around. She would just have to wake her up a little bit. "Case?" she whispered.

Casey shook her head slightly and blinked. "Oh, we're here?" she asked with a yawn. She extended her arms out in front of her then rubbed her eyes.

Olivia nodded. "We're here," she confirmed as the two of them began walking towards the hotel. "And if you can just stay awake for maybe five minutes then we'll be in our room and you can go back to sleep," Olivia promised.

"No, I'm awake," Casey said as the two of them walked into the hotel.

Olivia sighed as she walked up to the front desk. There was no one there. That was odd, Olivia noted. She looked around and saw a little bell to ring for service. She hit it and called "Hello".

A moment later, the employee emerged from the back. Her hair was a light brown color, and it was pulled back into a low ponytail near the base of her neck. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "My contact lens got stuck, and ugh," she began without looking up at her customers. "I hate it, but that's life sometimes." She sighed. "Well, that's my little life story. Welcome to the Belleview Inn. How may I help you?"

Olivia did not hear the question. Well, she heard the words, but she did not focus on the words themselves. She was more focused on the voice. She could have sworn she had heard that voice before.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" the woman repeated. She still did not look up at her two customers. She was looking at the computer with her fingers arched over the keyboard waiting for a response.

Olivia was sure of it now. That was the voice. She thought she would never get to hear it again. It had meant everything to her when she last heard it, but here it was again. The person. The same face. Those same eyes, minus the glasses though. She had heard the woman mention contacts.

Casey eyed Olivia oddly before answering the woman's question. "We have a reservation under the name Olivia Benson," Casey answered for Olivia. "Possibly Casey Novak, but most likely her name."

The woman's mouth dropped open as she finally did look up at the two of them. It confirmed Olivia's suspicion. This woman was in fact Alex Cabot.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I didn't say it before since I didn't want to give it away, but I have not seen "Ghost". I know that Alex really doesn't work in Atlantic City, but where would the fun be in fan fiction if people stuck to the facts? Sigh…Read, review, it's all good.

Chapter Two

"I'm sorry," Alex lied as she felt her cheeks burning red. She was back to looking down and avoiding eye contact. She could not bear to see Olivia's face as she lied to her. "My contact slipped again. Someone will be out to help you in a second," she lied as she walked towards the back quickly.

Casey yawned again. "What was that about?" she asked as she rested her head against the check-in counter.

"You didn't recognize her?" Olivia asked back. She was still stunned by the fact that Alex was just there and she had said no more than a few words to her. Nothing even along the lines of how she had been doing. It was just business. As soon as Alex realized who she was, she bolted.

Casey shook her head. "Am I supposed to?" she asked. She yawned again. "I'm sorry, Liv. I'm just really tired right now. Maybe if you put some caffeine in me…"

"No, that's ok," Olivia responded. "Once we get our room, you can go to sleep. I'd actually like to talk to her in private first."

Casey nodded weakly. "Am I supposed to recognize her?" she asked again.

Olivia sighed. When Alex left, the only people who knew she was alive were Olivia and Elliot. Everyone else was under the assumption that she was dead. Casey Novak was in her life because Alex Cabot was dead. She did not know if she could actually explain it to Casey without jeopardizing Alex's life and safety. "No," she said finally. "It's just someone from my past. She left once you said my name."

"Oh," Casey said as it made some bit of sense in her mind. Whatever it was, it sounded complicated, and she did not need to know further. If Olivia wanted to talk to her about it, she knew she could. If not, that was fine, too.

Another hotel worker emerged from the back where Alex had retreated. "I apologize for Miranda," he said as he walked up to the computer. "How may I help you?"

"Um, we had a reservation under Olivia Benson," Olivia answered.

The hotel worker nodded and hit some buttons. He grabbed some blank keys and programmed them to go to Olivia and Casey's room. He handed each of them a key. "Enjoy your stay," he told them. "You're in room 703."

"Thank you," Olivia said politely as she took the keys. She watched as the man sat down on a chair. "Um, do you know if there is any way for me to find Miranda?" she asked curiously as Casey began making her way towards the elevator. "It's just I knew her a few years ago, and I'd really like to just sit down and talk to her again. Please."

The man thought about it for a moment. "I'll see what I can do," he responded. "I'm not making any promises," he added.

"Thank you," Olivia responded as she looked at him. She then walked over to the elevators and hit the 'up' button. Casey must already be in the elevators if not already in the room, Olivia noted. A small part of her felt guilty for that. She had promised that this trip would have no interruptions, but the two of them were already separated.

The elevator doors opened, and Olivia walked inside. She was not alone. The woman from behind the counter was in there with her. Alex was in there with her. "Alex?" Olivia asked. "Alex, is it really you?"

Alex nodded slightly. "It is," she admitted in a whisper. "Olivia, I am so sorry," she added. "I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't. Not there. Not in front of…"

"Casey," Olivia filled in. "Casey Novak. She's the woman they hired after you…left."

"I see," Alex said softly. "Replacing me in more ways than one."

Olivia shook her head. "Now that's not fair. She couldn't replace you. No one could." She could feel the tears coming to her eyes. She had been waiting for this moment ever since that night when she last saw Alex driving away in that car. She thought about Alex every day. "You have to know that I think about you every day," she said.

"As did I with you," Alex said. "You were so close. It's only like a three and a half hour drive to New York, but I couldn't see you. I couldn't call." She sighed. "Valez may have ruined my life, but I wouldn't want him to ruin yours. I'm glad to see you've found someone."

"I still love you, Alex," Olivia admitted. "To some extent, even Casey knows that. I mean, I love her, too. Don't get me wrong, but you…"

Alex smiled. "You don't have to explain it to me. I get it, Liv. It's a different kind of love."

Olivia nodded. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too," Alex whispered. "And this won't be permanent. Hopefully he'll die or stop being a threat before I go. Then I'll be back."

Olivia chuckled. "With a hell of a lot of explaining to do."

Alex shrugged. "True, but it'll be worth it." She glanced over and realized that the elevator had in fact stopped moving. It was open on Olivia's floor. "How is everyone in the SVU?" she asked as she walked out of the elevator.

"They're good," Olivia answered simply as she followed Alex. She smiled at Alex. "So, Miranda, huh?"

Alex nodded. "The right to remain silent," she explained. The two women stopped in front of Olivia's room. They looked at the door, then back at each other. Alex smiled as she hugged Olivia. "We part only to meet again."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Olivia watched sadly as Alex retreated back down the hotel hallway. She had a job to do. Specifically, "Miranda" had a job to do, and Olivia had a girlfriend to attend to provided that Casey was still awake. Once Alex had rounded the corner and was out of sight, Olivia opened the hotel door to her room and walked inside.

"Did you talk to her?" Casey asked. She was sitting on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee in her hands. The bags under her eyes still hinted that she was tired, but her voice sounded more normal than it had when the two of them first arrived. She had changed out of her suit and was now wearing a black tank top and some sweatpants. "Liv, you ok?" she asked with concern as she moved over slightly on the couch for her girlfriend to sit down.

Olivia nodded slightly. "I suppose," she said. "It's complicated, Casey," she admitted. She was not trying to exclude Casey from her life. Casey was the one person she would be willing to share anything with, but this was different. She did not know how Casey would react to it.

"Is that code for you think you still might be interested in that woman?" Casey asked.

"No," Olivia confirmed. "Well, not in the sense that I would leave you for her," Olivia corrected as she picked up Casey's hand and held it in her own. She had to make that point clear.

Casey nodded understandingly. "She was your first, wasn't she?"

"Yes," Olivia admitted. "She was, but that doesn't mean I'm going back to her. You have nothing to worry about," she assured Casey. "I'm all yours now."

Casey smiled as she leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on Olivia's lips. "I know," she said. "But this coffee's not doing much for me, so I think I'm going to turn in for the night." She hugged Olivia, kissed her again, then stood up and walked over to the other half of the room where the bed was. "I love you, Liv."

"Love you, too, Case," Olivia whispered back as her girlfriend climbed into their bed. "I think I'm going to call Elliot first. I'll be there in a little bit." She doubted Casey fully heard her. The redhead was too busy shifting positions in the bed trying to get comfortable. Once she stopped moving, Olivia was positive that Casey was once again asleep. It was a long day, and seeing Alex, even if she did not recognize her, could not have been easy.

It definitely was not easy for Olivia. She had so much that she wanted to say to Alex. She had so many things that she wanted to know about Alex's life, so many things she wanted Alex to know about her life. All of that could not have been contained in one short elevator ride. She knew she had to see Alex again. She had to before they left Atlantic City.

She grabbed her cell phone and walked over to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her to avoid any possibility of waking Casey then dialed Elliot's cell phone number. "Come on, Elliot," she whispered. Her partner answered after three rings.

"Stabler," he said through a slightly muffled voice.

Olivia looked down at her watch. It was only 11:30. She understood why Casey was so tired. She had been stuck in a car for the past several hours after a long day in court for the most part. But Elliot…She shrugged it off. This was too important to wait until morning. "El, it's me," she said. "You will not believe who I saw in this hotel."

"Livvy, I don't get out much," Elliot complained. "I don't see many movies. I don't read many books. I don't listen to much music, and I don't watch a lot of sports. Whoever this person is probably is not worth interrupting my one free night of sleeping."

Olivia groaned. "It's not someone famous," she told him. "It's someone you and I know. Everyone else thinks she's dead."

Elliot blinked for a moment as he crawled out of his bed. He glanced next to him and walked over to his bathroom. "Are you sure?" he asked her once he was alone in his bathroom with the door closed. "You're not just imagining things?"

"Elliot, I know my girlfriend when I see her, and this was definitely her. She works at the hotel we're at. When Casey gave her our name, she left," Olivia said.

"And you're sure its not just one of the many people you've probably pissed off during your tenure in the NYPD?" Elliot asked. "Look, Liv, I want to believe you, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. I can't bear to see you hurt like that, and I don't want to have to bear the thought of Casey handling you like that."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I trust Casey with my emotions, thank you very much. I also know that it's her. I talked to her in the elevator."

"And she said she was Alex Cabot?" Elliot asked. "Just like that? In front of Casey?"

"No, Casey was already on her way to the room," Olivia explained. She knew exactly how it happened. She could restate that moment a thousand times if she had to. A hundred thousand, easily. She walked into the elevator. Alex was already in there, standing in the back right corner. "But she said it. She's going by the name Miranda here."

"The right to remain silent," Elliot mused. "Smart."

Olivia smiled. "She's a smart girl." She sighed heavily as she sat down on the cold, tiled floor of the bathroom. "I still miss her, El."

"I know," Elliot said. "I miss her, too."

"She asked about you," Olivia told him. "Well, the SVU in general, but still. You're part of the SVU. I told him you're fine. We're all fine."

"Well, we will be," Elliot told her. "If you see her tomorrow, tell her that I miss her like hell, and she better get her ass out of Witness Protection soon. Not too soon that it's unsafe, but as soon as she's out, I want to see her in that squad room."

Olivia smiled. "Will do," she promised him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Olivia could barely sleep that night. She was the first to awake Saturday morning. The sun was already shining into their room. Olivia carefully disentangled herself from Casey. She sat up and glanced back down at Casey. The young lawyer was so cute and innocent. And she was snoring slightly, Olivia realized. Casey was definitely not waking up anytime soon.

Olivia walked over towards the bathroom. She closed the door, but did not lock it. She had no need to. The bedroom door was locked, and she would not mind if Casey walked in on her. She turned the shower water on and began looking for the hotel-issued bottles of shampoo. After finding them and smelling them, she debated on whether or not to use them. She shrugged as she grabbed one of the bottles and walked into the shower.

She was out in less than fifteen minutes. She quickly dried her hair and got dressed. She was dressed only in a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt, but it was comfortable. She liked that. She poked her head back into the main part of their hotel room. Casey was still asleep. When her girlfriend was like this, it would take the entire U.S. army to wake her. Olivia simply smiled and searched for something on which to scribble Casey a note explaining that she went to breakfast.

Olivia grabbed one of the keys to their room and left quietly. She was back in the hallway. She could see the exact spot where she had last seen Alex. It was crazy, but she half expected Alex to still be there. She wanted her to be there. There was so much she wanted to tell her.

As she made her way to the elevator, she was tempted to ask one of the other staff members for Alex's, or "Miranda's" phone number. No, she thought. The risk was too great. The last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize Alex's life more. The fact that she had seen her the previous night was risk enough.

The elevator ride down was lonely. In the whole seven floors down, Olivia was the only person there. She was not bothered. Normally, she would probably be asleep at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. The elevator came to a stop on the ground floor. Its doors opened with a ding, and Olivia proceeded to the small restaurant inside. Food was definitely a good thing.

The restaurant was nearly empty. An elderly couple sat in the corner. A business man was at the buffet table. A woman was at a round table in the far back corner. She was brunette and facing away from Olivia. Olivia walked over to the beginning of the buffet table before she got a good look at the woman.

Alex smiled over at Olivia. She had two plates in front of her. One was obviously hers as the bacon was half-eaten, but the other one contained all of Olivia's favorite breakfast foods that the buffet offered.

Excitement filled Olivia's body as she rushed to Alex. "Oh my god," she whispered. "Al--Miranda, this is wonderful." She frowned slightly. "Where's my English muffin?"

"Hard as a rock and dryer than the Sahara," Alex responded simply. "I've worked here for nearly two years now, Liv."

Olivia nodded. Two years. Two years of wondering where Alex was, what she was doing, if she was even still safe. Did she find someone else? It felt like a lot longer than two years.

"I'm fine, Liv," Alex continued. She knew exactly what was going through Olivia's head. It was one of the things that made being in WPP the most difficult. No one could come close to having what she and Olivia had. "This is a safe hotel, and I live in a safe neighborhood."

"In Atlantic City?" Olivia asked doubtfully.

Alex shook her head. "Not exactly."

Olivia did not ask further. Knowing where Alex lived would only tempt her to come and see her more often. The two of them knew that until Alex was out of WPP, then that idea was out. It was bad enough that they had talked yesterday and were now eating breakfast together. Olivia knew that Agent Hammond would be having a fit if he knew what was going on.

"So how is everyone?" Alex asked. "Anything new or exciting going on back in New York? Munch still sarcastic? Fin still a Republican? Elliot still your best friend?"

Olivia smiled. She missed this. Too much. "Not too much exciting stuff," she responded.   
"Catching sexual predators, putting them in jail."

"Those are the things Olivias do best," Alex pointed out. She gazed fondly across the table at Olivia. Olivia looked so perfect. Her hair had grown out some. Alex liked it. "Well, what else is new?"

Olivia smiled again. Same old Alex. She always had hated waiting for things. "After you left, I called Elliot," Olivia began. "He gave me specific instructions to tell you to get your ass out of Witness Protection," she whispered.

Alex chuckled. "I'll try my hardest," she promised.

"What's new with you?" Olivia asked.

Alex shrugged. "My mother died," she said finally. "I just found out the other week." She drew in a deep breath. "Her funeral was last Wednesday, and I couldn't go."

"Oh, Alex," Olivia said sympathetically. She extended her hand out and rubbed Alex's arm gently. "I'm so sorry, honey."

"That's not even what bothers me most," Alex continued. "The worst part of it all is that my mother died thinking someone had killed me. She still thought I was another one of those unsolved murder cases in the New York City police files somewhere."

"Oh, honey." Olivia did not know what else to say. She kept massaging Alex's arm. Nothing could make the former ADA feel any better. Nothing she could do.

The two of them sat in silence. Olivia continued to run her fingers along Alex's arm. She stopped and grasped Alex's hands, holding them tightly in hers. They just gazed into each other's eyes. Nothing around them mattered anymore. They had each other. Even if it would only be momentarily, they were together. Simultaneously, they stood up and moved their heads towards the middle of the table. They were each moving towards the other.

Their kissing was inevitable. They were only centimeters apart when a noise startled them. The sound of a plate dropping to the hard linoleum floor startled them, and they moved back. They turned in the direction of the noise.

Casey was standing there. Her mouth was open wide with shock. Her eyes were filled with tears of betrayal. In front of her feet were the remains from what was going to be her breakfast. She looked at Olivia as if condemning her. She shook her head once and turned around. She rushed out of the restaurant.

Olivia's face burned with embarrassment. "Casey, please," she called. She doubted Casey could hear her. Her stomach lurched. She glanced back at Alex. Alex gave her a signal to run after Casey. Olivia nodded as she quickly walked out of the restaurant. She needed to make this right. She just hoped Casey could forgive her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Alex watched as Olivia rushed out of there. The whole situation embarrassed her. She should have known better than to try and mess things up for Olivia. Olivia was seeing someone. Alex, on the other hand, was in Witness Protection. She exhaled deeply as she picked up her plate and Olivia's. She had to go back to work. Even though her shift had ended, she would work all weekend for the possibility of seeing Olivia again. Although they could no longer date, Alex needed to see her.

* * *

Once her elevator opened on the seventh floor, Olivia rushed out of it and down to her room. She had to make this right. She did love Casey. She grabbed her key and twisted the handle. The door seemed stuck. Olivia pushed harder. She could get it a few inches open before she saw the reason why it would not go any further. Casey was standing there, her eyes filled with a look of anger and hurt.

"Casey, please," Olivia begged.

"Please what?" Casey responded bitterly. However, she did move out of the way to let Olivia enter. The rest of the hallway did not need to be in their business. She did not bother closing the door. Instead she walked over to the bed and grabbed her suitcase from underneath it. She opened it and started throwing the few things she had used back in.

Olivia closed the door and walked back to Casey. She sat down on the opposite side of the bed. "What are you doing?" she asked plainly.

"What's it look like?" Casey responded bitterly. "I'm packing." Her words cut deep inside Olivia. Casey turned around, grabbed her slippers, and shoved them inside her suitcase. Was there anything else she needed? She could not remember. If she could not remember, then it probably was not important. She glanced at the night table and saw that nothing on it was hers. It was all the hotel's.

The suitcase was a chilling sign. Olivia hated it now. Earlier, it was part of their secret. They were getting out of New York. They could go somewhere and be a couple without the fear that someone they knew would see them. Now it symbolized everything that went wrong today. She could not have it end that way. "Please, let me explain," she said.

From Casey's standpoint, Olivia did not deserve the chance to explain. What she did was simple. It was so convenient this way, too. Olivia could have known that her ex worked here. Olivia would be getting her romantic getaway, just not with Casey. "What's there to explain?" Casey asked as she started zippering her suitcase. "Last night, you told me that _she _would not get in the way of our happiness. You said that you didn't love _her_. Was that all a lie?"

"No," Olivia started.

Casey was not finished. "Did you want me to walk in on the two of you? Is that why you didn't wake me up for breakfast?"

"Heavens, no," Olivia answered. "Casey, you were beyond tired last night. I couldn't bring myself to wake you because you needed your sleep. I honestly had no idea she would be down there. I thought her shift would be over." She walked over and tried to hug Casey.

"Don't touch me," Casey yelled. She knew her words hurt. Despite of everything that happened, it hurt her to hurt Olivia. Tears formed in her eyes. She did not want to even look at her girlfriend. She faced the wall before she spoke. "Liv, I want to hear what you have to say. I want to be able to forgive you," she began. She continued before Olivia could say anything. She had a feeling that the detective was about to open her mouth. "I can't yet. You have to understand how hard it was for me to see you with her. I'm sure you'd have a valid reason, but I can't hear it right now. I need some space, ok?"

Olivia looked at Casey. Of course, she made sense. She was unsure if Casey was finished. The silence was eerie. Haunting, even. Finally, Olivia decided it was safe to speak. "Of course, sweetie," she promised. "I'll be down by the pool when you're ready to talk."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Alex hated feeling guilty. Because of everything, she did feel guilty. She did not like that feeling. She had to do something. She had to talk to Olivia. She could not spend all of her time hiding out on the floor behind the desk. She had to make this right or, at the very least, attempt to. She saw the way Olivia and Casey were before they checked in. They were happy. She could not live with herself for being the reason they were unhappy.

She quickly checked Olivia's reservation information. Room seven hundred and three. She knew that. She walked over to the elevator and up to Olivia's room. She knocked on it gently. There was silence on the other end. Shit. Did she just interrupt a private moment?

"I thought you were by the pool," the voice called from the other side of the door. It was not Olivia's. Alex knew that right away. It was Olivia's girlfriend. And she was alone.

Well, this would be awkward.

The door opened slowly. Casey had a pair of underpants in her hand. Words could not describe the anger on her face when she saw Alex. She almost slammed the door in her face, but she decided against that. "What?" she asked bitterly. "She's not here, and I don't exactly feel like talking to you."

"I don't blame you," Alex responded. "Believe me, if I was in your situation, I would hate me too. I do hate myself. I shouldn't have let it go this far."

Casey turned around and started walking back towards her open suitcase. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked. "Do you want my sympathy?"

Alex shook her head. "I just wanted to apologize. Both to you and to Liv," she said. "This isn't fair to either one of you. I can get you reservations at another hotel. I know it'd put you at ease."

"With all due respect, but I don't want another hotel. I don't want this hotel. I want my apartment back in New York," Casey said. She folded her underwear and placed it in the suitcase.

Alex nodded slowly. "Just as well," she said. "I don't think I can be around Olivia without messing things up any more. For all of us."

"Pfft," Casey exclaimed. "Like the two of you didn't plan this," she said accusingly.

"Of course not," Alex said. "Liv didn't have any idea I worked here. If she did, she wouldn't be allowed to come here." She honestly did not care if she revealed her identity to Casey. Casey was with Olivia, which made her trustable. She was in this difficult position, caused by Alex, so she had the right to know the truth. The whole truth.

Casey's mouth dropped open. "Alex?" she whispered. She had seen the pictures around the squad room. They were not prominent, but they were there. Olivia and Elliot each had one of all the detectives plus Alex and Cragen at some event. It looked like a dinner.

She should have known this. Olivia's first girlfriend was not Miranda. She didn't even date other women until she was in the SVU. Her first girlfriend was a blonde SVU ADA. Alex. She should have known. "You are," she stated. "You're alive."

"Liv didn't tell you?" Alex asked. She instantly felt stupid. If Olivia told Casey, then Casey would not be looking at Alex as if she was a ghost.

"No," Casey finally stated as she slammed her suitcase shut. "I guess I don't know her as well as I thought. She doesn't trust me as much as I thought."

Alex shook her head. "Now I'm sure that's not true. You seem like a great girl. I want Liv to be happy. I saw the two of you together. You make her happy, and I can tell she loves you."

Casey picked up her suitcase and headed for the door. She glared slightly at Alex. "Look, just do one thing for me. Tell Olivia that I went back to New York. I'm not ready to listen to what she has to say right now. It's too confusing, so don't bother calling." She handed over her copy of the room key. "Can you manage that?" She did not wait for a reply. She had to get out of there. She'd find a bus back soon enough.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Alex looked around the hotel room. Olivia's hotel room. She could smell Olivia's rosemary shampoo in the bathroom. She saw some of Olivia's favorite shirts in the open suitcase on the chair. She then scolded herself. She should not be here. She came up to this room to talk to Olivia. Olivia clearly was not here, so she did not have any more business in being here.

Wait. She knew where Olivia was. Her girlfriend, Casey, had mentioned it. The gym? No, that wasn't it. The pool. Alex peeked outside. The weather was nice. It was still very warm outside, so the chances were pretty good that Olivia was at the outdoor pool.

Alex left the room and closed the door promptly behind her. She knew that Casey was mad at her. She had every reason to be. She was just worried about how Olivia felt. She could not live with herself if Olivia was mad at her. She had to make this right.

The sun shone down on her pale skin as she walked outside to the pool. There was a small gate separating the pool and its deck from the rest of the patio. Alex opened the gate and walked inside. There were only a few children actually in the pool, so she would be looking at the people around it. She smiled as she caught sight of Olivia.

Her girlfriend was in the far left corner of the pool where the sun was shining the brightest. She was dressed in a red bikini. It was not too skimpy, and Alex loved it. Olivia was absolutely adorable. _Of course_, Alex thought. _She had to make this harder._

"Hey," Alex said as she approached Olivia. She sat down in a pool chair next to Olivia's.

Olivia opened her eyes and turned to face Alex. Alex did not have to say anything. Olivia knew the reason for her visit. "When did she leave?" she asked.

"About fifteen minutes ago," Alex responded honestly.

Olivia nodded once. "That's great," she said as she felt tears welling in her eyes. She turned to Alex. "I don't know what to do. I don't know if she'll even talk to me again."

"She will," Alex assured her. "I could see it in her eyes. She's in love with you."

"And I love her," Olivia stated. "I mean, I didn't think I would, at first. At first, she pissed me off. At first, I honestly wanted to kill her. She's so not like you. But, for whatever reason, I fell in love with her. And now, I see you and things get so messed up. I don't get it."

Alex took Olivia's hand. "Love never makes any sense," she said. "I think about you all the time. I can't help myself."

Olivia smiled weakly at Alex. "I do, too, but telling me this isn't exactly making the situation any better," she stated. "I just don't know what to do."

"Go back to her," Alex answered simply. Before Olivia could say anything, Alex continued. "She obviously loves you. I know this weekend was not easy for anyone, but you've got a future with her. Most people in Witness Protection never get out." She sighed. "I'd like to believe that I will, but the reality is that I probably won't. I don't want you to suffer because of me. You should move on. You have Casey. Be grateful for that," she said. She leaned over and kissed Olivia's forehead. "And remember that I'll always love you."

Olivia hugged Alex tightly. "And I will always love you, Alex," she stated. "I promise." She kissed her. "Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Casey got a bus quick enough. Luckily, the traffic was not too bad. She was back at the District Attorney's office in four hours. She needed to do work. She needed a distraction from the day she had just had. Rapists. That could distract her for hours…until she thought about how she got the evidence.

Someone was standing in front of her office door. Casey gasped as she grabbed her key and opened it. "Elliot, what are you doing here?" she asked. "It's a Saturday night."

Elliot nodded. "Yea, I know, but Kathy's got the kids, so I was looking at some old case files and…Hey," he said after a pause. "Why aren't you with Liv? Something happen?"

Casey nodded as she pushed her door open. "Yes," she complained loudly. "Something happened. Of course something happened. _She _showed up."

"She?" Elliot asked as he followed Casey inside. He wondered how much Casey was willing to talk about this. Whatever the amount, he would listen. He cared about Casey.

"I know I'm going to sound crazy, but believe me it's the truth," Casey started. She had not intended to talk about it- or even think about it- but Elliot was there. He was actually listening to her. She felt safe with him. She could trust him. She grabbed a softball from her top drawer and tossed it to Elliot. "Alex Cabot's alive. Witness Protection, and she's working at the hotel Liv took me to."

Elliot's mouth dropped open. "Wow, that close to the city," he said in shock as he tossed the ball back to Casey.

Casey's face flustered with anger at Elliot's statement. "Wait, you knew, too," she stated angrily as she aimed the ball at his crotch and threw it harder.

"Woah, easy there," Elliot said as he moved out of the way. He let the ball hit the floor and bounce once before he caught it. "Casey, just take a deep breath." Casey glared at him, but she did as he commanded. "Only Liv and I knew. I swear. We weren't even supposed to know, but Alex was too stubborn. No one else knows. Not even Cragen or Branch."

Casey exhaled. "I know. It's fair," she stated. "It's for her own safety. But still…She and Liv…They were…and now I don't know what to do."

Elliot moved over closer to Casey. He hugged her. In many ways, he viewed her as his sister. Her and Olivia. He hated seeing either one of them like this. "It's going to work out. I know Liv loves you," he said soothingly.

Casey frowned. "Her lips said otherwise," she responded. "And before you say anything, it looked pretty romantic to me."

Elliot sighed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Come on," he said. "I'll drive you home. You're tired. You've had a long, hellish day. You deserve a nice hot bath or something. In the morning, this will all be clearer. It'll work out."

Casey smiled weakly at Elliot. "Thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

It only took Olivia about fifteen minutes to pack up all of her things, check the hotel for anything either of them missed, and check out. Luckily, Alex did not check her out. The two of them had exchanged their good-byes at the pool. If they said anything else, they would most likely end up kissing again. Olivia already felt guilty enough. She rushed towards her car and tossed her suitcase into the backseat.

She started the car and quickly turned onto the Atlantic City Expressway. The tollbooths would not annoy her. She just had to get to New York City as quickly as she safely could. She hoped Casey could forgive her. Did Casey have to? No. Did Olivia actually expect her to? Not really. At least, not right away. She knew that she might have a little bit of an issue with it if the situation was reversed. Plus, there was the part where Olivia did not tell Casey that Alex was even alive.

She tried to think of how to frame her apology. She could not make excuses for her actions. There were no excuses. She was in a relationship, one that she valued very much at that. She had no business in kissing Alex. She should have just kept her meeting with Alex at a friend level. She had to make sure that Casey knew all of that.

* * *

Casey sat alone in her apartment. After spending over half an hour convincing Elliot that she would be fine, he left. He told her not to feel guilty for calling him if she needed it. She had rolled her eyes at him, but she was grateful that he was there. She needed that support. She exhaled.

She had taken a bath as soon as Elliot left. It did help relax her. Now she was dressed in her light purple bathrobe. Her hair was still dripping wet. She was certain that the back of her couch had a wet spot from where she had been resting her head. She reached for the remote in an attempt to find something to watch on television. There was always something on. For some reason, she had cable. She could find something.

She exhaled and sat back finally after finding some baseball game on. She did not care who the teams were or what the score was. As long as it was not something relating to love, than she could watch it. She stood up and walked over to the kitchen to cook herself a bowl of popcorn. She did not care if it was not healthy. She wanted some. She knew that she would be spending the night alone.

* * *

Olivia reached New York City by eleven. She knew how to get to Casey's apartment, and she started to make the drive. She was about four blocks away when she stopped. Casey would not want to see her. Not yet. Not at this hour. She had to accept that. She would have to wait until the next morning to make things right. Sadly, she turned back around and started heading towards her own apartment.

As soon as she was home, she crawled into bed. Alone.


End file.
